The planning application was first submitted in 2015 but the city council refused to back the scheme, with critics saying the proposed nine-storey building was too tall for Agard Street.

The design has since been remodelled and downsized on behalf of Trent Pads Ltd, which was seeking permission to build accommodation with 71 bedrooms across various blocks, ranging from four to seven storeys, overlooking Grade I-listed Pickford's House to the rear.

Rear and side view from Pickford's House (Image: Trent Pads Ltd)

The vote against the application was carried by five to two with two abstentions. Several councillors expressed concerns about air quality.

The council's environmental officer report concluded that the development had the potential to "cause unacceptable increases in air pollutants, in particular NO2, due to enhanced street canyon effects along Agard Street" and had recommended refusal of the application on air quality grounds.

Councillor Ged Potter reminded the committee that the city council declared a climate emergency on May 22 and that the air would be too polluted in the area.

He said: "The plans show that the building has an air filtering system, but it will have to draw fresh air from the south side of the building because it is too polluted on the street side to do it.

"If we approve this application we won't be able to look any environmental protester in the face in the future."

Artist's impression of how the proposed block (right) would fit next to the taller existing accommodation in Agard Street (Image: Trent Pads Ltd)

Councillor Joana West said that she also could not get past the problem with air quality but Councillor Paul Pegg questioned whether air quality problems in Derby would ever be resolved and added: "If we keep rejecting applications how are we ever to develop the city?"

Councillor Ross McCristal said he liked the design but the air quality problem was an issue for him too. While Councillor Lucy Care said that while students were protected from air pollution inside the building, people on the pavements would be vulnerable.

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Several councillors also reminded the committee that Agard Street is only yards from Stafford Street, which is currently subject to a Government directive ordering the council to clean up its air quality as soon as possible.

If the application had gone ahead, a row of Victorian terraced houses and a commercial garage business would have been demolished - the latter against the owner's wishes - as part of the project.

The application had already attracted a number of objections over the past five years including the adverse effect on Pickford's House, increased number of tall buildings in the street, parking and traffic safety issues and pollution level concerns.

Trent Pads wanted to build the student development in Agard Street

The council planning officer concludes that after taking into account the views of a large number of people and organisations, the public benefits of the scheme marginally outweigh the harm to the setting of the Friar Gate conservation area and the nearby listed buildings and was an "acceptable form of development".

Plans for a number of student residences have been submitted for Agard Street over the past few years - the University of Derby already has one of its own residences - Sir Peter Hilton Court - there.

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In 2017, work started on creating the nine-storey, 244-bed student accommodation block next to the existing copper-clad University of Derby law department on the corner of Ford Street and Agard Street.

In April this year, a company called GCLP was given permission to build a block of 32 one-bedroom flats ona site occupied by the former Derby Optical Factory Shop, in Agard Street, which will be demolished.

And in July 2019, a plan for an eight-storey block of 142 flats was given the go-ahead, despite a similar application for fewer flats being turned down almost 12 months ago.